My 2007 visit to India

I'm going to try to write about my recent trip to India on this blog. It's been about three weeks since we got back, and I'm worried about forgetting the small, interesting details if I don't write about it now. I was going to wait until I had pictures to post along with the words, but with my combination of being too busy, too lazy and too obsessive, and having thousands of pictures to go through, that would take weeks.

I had been vaguely planning on going to India in late 2006 - early 2007, three years since my last trip, for at least a year. The urge got stronger when I started reading IndiaMike.com and the online journals of some other westerners about their travels in India. They reminded me that I was about due for that jolt of India I need every few years to revitalize me from the stupor of office work and suburban home in Durham NC.

Quotes from Indiamike about why they go to India:

• wow - the traffic, crowds, pollution and touts - sounds strange but its actually making me miss it more! you'll grow from this my friend
• India is a great elixir for the bored, serious shock therapy for the burn-outs, and the world's largest roller coaster for all adrenaline junkies ..... that's why!
• We were a bit afraid of the crowds and the hassle with people in advance too. Read a lot about how awful India would be and stuff.. And I, myself, do not like crowds or busy streets either.. Once I accepted some facts of how things go in India and rediscovered my humour in going about with people I did not have a single serious problem. Although I expected to hate India afterwards, I must say I _LOVE_ India and especially the people!! (BenV)
• I can relate... the thought of jostling noisey crowds at the local shopping centre on a Sat morning leaves me feeling like I'd rather stick hot pins in my eyes, and who likes to be hassled or ripped off?But somehow in India you manage to take it all in your stride and it even becomes part of the fun. Immerse yourself and you'll love it; see past the pollution and poverty, talk to the locals, take photo's of the kids and see the fun it creates, take the trains and remember to take each day for the totally unique experience it will be... or stand back on the sidelines and India will stand back from you...I know which is more fun.'Shantaram' is a great book if you want some inspiration, and Hampi is a great place to escape to if it all becomes too much. (IndiaMad)
• But I think if you are the kind that deep down knows that there is more to life than the "sterile environs, and monotonous hum drum activities" that are normal to the so called developed countries, you will most certainly be impressed with the chaos that is India. Life after all is chaos isn't it, we just try to control it by being organized and thinking we are vry important to this universe. Being in India certainly dispels all such illusions as one realizes how ultraminiscule each one of us in the grand scheme called life It's my day for philosphic musings (LadyVetPhd)

General impressions of this visit:

too many things too do in too little time! too many people to visit (but I love them)! Not enough free time to walk around and take pictures thoughtfully. Too much time in moving cars or trains, seeing beautiful scenes but not being able to stop and take a good picture. Not even having open windows because the air is unhealthy.

comfort vs. seeing the 'real India'. the more you pay for your travel arrangements, the more comfortable it is, and the less interesting.